Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for using services that uses a mechanism of Web Intents.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when a website delegates processing to another website, a function calling side needs to know how to call a function providing side. Examples include an application program interface (API) and a representational state transfer (REST) interface of the function providing side. To cooperate with different websites, the function calling side therefore needs to perform necessary processing according to respective calling rules.
In order for the function calling side to use the function, authentication by the function providing side is often needed. The user side of the function thus needs to retain authentication information about the function providing side and/or use an authentication basis such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). If authentication information is obtained, proper, safe management of the authentication information is required. The use of a SAML or other authentication basis needs a prior agreement between the provider and user of the function, which has imposed a burden on the user of the function.
There are also mechanisms for cooperating with an arbitrary web service (or web application) without using a dedicated API. As an example, a mechanism called Web Intents has been discussed which loosely couples the receiving side and the providing side of a service by late runtime binding, thereby implementing cooperation therebetween.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-296435 discusses a technique for dynamically controlling a plurality of server management units and a plurality of server providing units according to intentions of both.
Through the mechanism of Web Intents, it is possible to select and use a Web Intents service that provides a specific action and a processable type. However, there is a problem in that a Web Intents client cannot use a Web Intents service that is unable to process the type of data the Web Intents client provides. It should be noted that Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-296435 does not take into account a mechanism for the cooperation of Web Intents.